Posted on 11/01/2021 7:44:11 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
So, something easy, but a bit challenging & VERY useful - mittens?
https://www.bhookedcrochet.com/2018/03/13/easy-knit-fingerless-gloves/
https://www.handylittleme.com/easy-mittens-knitting-pattern/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Something different than mittens .... arm warmers! I made a really easy pair for a friend & she loves them. I used yarn that had some alpaca in it so they were extra warm. Handy Little Me has a lot of designs .... the cabled ones are gorgeous.
This is the pattern I did for my friend. BTW, the original instructions were for ‘flat’ & then seaming .... I contacted the designer & told her how I converted the pattern to circular needles (no seam - yay!!) using the magic loop technique. She contacted me & let me know she’d added ‘circular needle’ instructions to her pattern!
https://www.handylittleme.com/simple-knit-arm-warmers/
Here’s a link to all of her free knitting patterns if you’d like to look around:
https://www.handylittleme.com/free-knitting-patterns/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Or more challenging dishcloth designs:
https://www.handylittleme.com/irish-moss-stitch-dishcloth-knitting-pattern/
https://www.yarnspirations.com/red-heart-chevron-dishcloth/RHK0512-024284M.html
My aunt used to knit dishcloths, the ones like in your link. She did them everywhere ... doctor’s office, waiting for her car to be fixed, etc. and when she just wanted to have something to do with her hands. She gave away a LOT of dishcloths ... very popular item .... you can’t go wrong if you make the ones in your link.
Would love to see pictures of the egg aprons.
In general, I love boot cuffs!
A long time ago, I saved this pattern, thought it was really neat looking. Never made them .... hate ‘post’ stitches.
Here’s the link to the pattern if you’re feeling like a challenge .... definitely one that’s ‘longer than an hour’! :-)
Celtic Dream Crochet Boot Cuffs
https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Crochet-Accessories/Celtic-Dream-Crochet-Boot-Cuffs
OMG those are so pretty! What a beauty and memorable gift for them. Thanks for posting.
I think I’ve told the story before, but I’ll repeat it. The girls see me a couple of times a year, but I’m the (’great’ - we leave that out for simplicity) Aunt who made them their egg aprons .... it’s actually become something “special” between us.
So, I have always tried to give presents to ‘the kids’ that were not junk, something they wouldn’t necessarily outgrow, and that was useful, educational, etc. You get the point.
The girls are now 5-1/2 & 3. When the oldest had her 2nd birthday, I was trying to figure out what to give her .... she LOVED the chickens that her mom had & was going with her to collect eggs. I saw the adult crocheted egg apron & then noticed there was a child size & I knew that is what I’d do for her 2nd birthday. I used the pastel variegated cotton - very Spring-y (birthday in April). The apron was a huge hit - it came down to her knees, maybe even below, but she was wearing it every day to collect those eggs!
Last spring, I got a request from mama - the little one was feeling very left out, since she had no egg apron & mama wanted to know if I could make her one as well. I found out the most favored color was purple, bought yarn the same day & got busy that night. Within 3 days, I had the egg apron in the mail. I wish I could have seen the little one open the package - evidently, she was running for the hen house as soon as she could get it out of the package & tie it on! Their mama sent me a pic of them side by side in their aprons - big smiles. The oldest one has grown into her apron, the little one’s is down around her knees - so cute.
The pattern is “easy”, sewing on the pockets is a pain. Also, in the pattern, the waistband is just a strip of single crochets - too stretchy, not very sturdy. I came up with my own waistband design that is not stretchy so it doesn’t sag - I made it plenty long so the girls can grow & the apron will still have long enough ‘strings’ to be tied on.
The egg aprons are one of my favorite & most satisfying projects. The girls live about 3 hours away - when they were visiting their grandmother (who lives next door to me) the first time after I sent the last egg apron, the little one (who was a bit shy at the time) came and told me “thank you”! It was SO sweet, worth every stitch. Now that she’s got that “connection” with me via the apron, she bounces right up with “HI Aunt Q!!” and a big smile.
If you ever decide to make an egg apron, I can send you how I did the waistband - it’s not only sturdy, but it’s really attractive, too - a definite upgrade on the pattern, IMO.
Oh, VERY pretty - probably beyond my abilities when a HDC in ribs excites me, LOL!
I wonder...if one found an Aran-like knit sweater with pretty sleeves...couldn’t those be cut off and stitched and make cuffs, too? I mean, I AM going to need a few different colors & styles, right?
I think since I’m not tied to the garden or the stove top canner these days, my brain has been freed up to think of other creative pursuits! :)
I think that’s a wonderful idea (cutting off sweater arms). If the sweater is big enough (arms), you could make leg warmers out of them, too. I think leg warmers with leggings are a fantastic look. If you were wearing your boots with the leggings/warmers, you could let the warmers “slouch” down around the boot tops for a great look!
If you have some good thrift shops, I’m wondering if they’d have some cheap sweaters you could use for this idea. You realize what you’ve ‘done’?? LOL ... I’m going to have to make a trip to Goodwill and look around for sweaters now.
Bought myself some leggings a while back, but haven’t worn them yet .... I recently saw a leg warmer pattern that I thought I saved .... only one I’ve truly wanted to make & it would be great with those leggings. Of course, I can’t find it - I think it was knitted. Anyway, if I run across it, I’ll post it.
BTW, if you’re looking for something considerably more ‘girly’ in boot cuffs (Beau taking you out for dinner or something :-), Kristin Holloway has some totally cute designs.
Sugar Maple Boot Cuffs
https://kirstenhollowaydesigns.com/2018/01/free-crochet-pattern-sugar-maple-boot-cuffs.html
Ribbons & Grace Boot Cuffs
htmlhttps://kirstenhollowaydesigns.com/2016/12/pattern-ribbons-and-grace-ladies.html
Primrose & Proper Boot Cuff (paid pattern only)
https://api.ravelry.com/patterns/library/primrose—proper-bootcuffs
Love the backstory. I have no one to make an apron for sadly. I could even throw one together with some muslin material I have and a bunch of old bulky socks I could cut and sew on but I have no chickens either. I do appreciate such gifts being given and the memories they make.
Cute ideas! I’m going to the Dentist today (just a cleaning) and then stopping to drop of donations at St. Vincent’s and am hitting their Thrift Store to see if I can find a pretty sweater to cut up for my boot cuff idea. ;)
I can hardly wait for you to get back so we’ll know if you found anything at the thrift store you can use - that sweater arm idea was a good one!!
Sorry to disappoint, but there wasn’t anything there today that looked like it would work. I just bought a few used books and a couple of used DVDs. (My other weakness in this world!)
I’m going to Mom’s tomorrow (about an hour away) to help her plant spring bulbs, so I’ll stop at her local thrift store, too - or maybe just raid her closet! She was complaining about having TOO MANY CLOTHES the other day, so maybe I can free her from a sweater or two? ;)
I usually stop at my local ‘Community Treasures’ thrift store when I go into town for rations; this week it will be Thursday. I’ll keep you informed - but I am looking for yarn to use for the EASY pattern I posted earlier. I can’t believe I don’t have any CREAM colored yarn around here. Yeesh!
AND - I’m shining up my boots - they need some polish and wax, after sitting in the closet all Spring and Summer. ;)
More cuteness and their blog and projects are adorable.:
https://www.sisterssuitcaseblog.com/diy-boot-socks-from-old-sweaters/
These would look cute with gardening boots, too! Win/Win! :)
Books ... a real weakness of mine. I have boxes of books in storage, maybe one day I can get them back out (no room for them right now).
Cute ideas on the sweater leggings!
*MAINTENANCE PING*
Bulky! I ‘like’ my cats and take good care of them, but they are useful tools on the farm and not so much pets.
I’m a dog person, by far. :)
Great idea. How did your surprise box of yarn turn out?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.